Patentable/Patents/US-12324124
US-12324124

Electronic apparatus

PublishedJune 3, 2025
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

An electronic apparatus (1) includes a cooling fan (5) configured to generate an airflow that cools a part mounted on a circuit board (50), a flow passage wall (34) defining a flow passage of the airflow fed from the cooling fan (5), and a dust collecting chamber Ds configured to capture dust in the airflow and store the captured dust, the dust collecting chamber Ds being provided to the flow passage wall (34). According to this, the amount of the dust fed to air supply targets such as a heat sink and a power supply unit together with air can be reduced.

Patent Claims
10 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. An electronic apparatus comprising: a circuit board; a cooling fan configured to generate an airflow that cools a part mounted on the circuit board; a flow passage wall defining a flow passage of the airflow fed from the cooling fan, the flow passage wall having a first end and a second end, the cooling fan disposed at the first end of the flow passage wall such that the airflow flows from the first end to the second end; a heat sink disposed at the second end of the flow passage wall such that the airflow flows through the heat sink and exits the flow passage; and a dust collecting chamber configured to capture dust in the airflow and store the captured dust, the dust collecting chamber separate from the flow passage of the airflow and disposed along the flow passage wall and positioned between the cooling fan and the heat sink, wherein: the dust collecting chamber is defined by a chamber wall extending from the flow passage wall and into the airflow for capturing the dust in the airflow and storing the captured dust, and the chamber wall directs the airflow in a direction transverse to the circuit board.

2

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dust collecting chamber has a first opening that opens toward the flow passage in a direction along the circuit board and a second opening that opens toward an outside of the dust collecting chamber in a direction intersecting the circuit board.

3

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a cover that covers the second opening.

4

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second opening is formed in a housing that houses the cooling fan, and the cover is an exterior member that covers the housing.

5

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a housing that houses the cooling fan and the circuit board, wherein the dust collecting chamber is formed integrally with the housing.

6

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling fan is a fan configured to rotate about a rotational center line along a first direction intersecting the circuit board, in a second direction that is either a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction, the flow passage wall is curved extending in the second direction along a periphery of the cooling fan, and the dust collecting chamber is provided to the curved flow passage wall.

7

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two devices each of which is a heat generating device or a heat radiating device are arranged downstream of the flow passage defined by the flow passage wall, and the dust collecting chamber is located upstream of the flow passage with respect to the two devices.

8

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the two devices are a power supply unit and the heat sink.

9

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dust collecting chamber further comprises a guide slope extending from the chamber wall and formed upstream of the flow passage with respect to the chamber wall of the dust collecting chamber.

10

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a board shield that covers the circuit board, wherein the dust collecting chamber wall is disposed on an upper side of the board shield, and the guide slope is formed in the board shield.

Classification Codes (CPC)

Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.

Patent Metadata

Filing Date

March 25, 2021

Publication Date

June 3, 2025

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Cite as: Patentable. “Electronic apparatus” (US-12324124). https://patentable.app/patents/US-12324124

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